Stephen Douglas was born on April 23, 1813 in Brandon Vermont. Yes, he did support slavery.
Douglas'political battles with Abraham Lincoln in both 1858 and again in 1860. In 1858 Douglas sought reelection as senator. He represented the Democratic Party in the election, while his opponent, Lincoln, was the Republican Party's candidate. Lincoln argued that the U.S. could not survive with 1/2 of the nation allowing slavery and other 1/2 opposing this institution. Lincoln contended that African Americans were human beings and that they deserved their freedom, but he never claimed that blacks were as intelligent as or should have equal rights to whites. Douglas championed sovereignty and accused Lincoln of believing African Americans were equal to whites. He even suggested that Lincoln supported whites and blacks marrying and having children with each other. By inspiring fear in Illinois voters and mischaracterizing Lincoln's views. Douglas retained his seat.
Douglas and Lincoln met again on the political battlefield in the presidential election of 1860. In this election, Lincoln represented the Republican Party, while Douglas represent the Northern democratic Party. By the late 1850s the Democratic Party was in disarray over slavery. Northern members opposed slavery's explansion, while Southern members believed that slavery should exist across the U.S. Douglas refused to endorse the Southerners' views and the Democratic Party split in two.
Lincoln won the election against the other 3 candidates. Many Northern voters agreed with him that African Americans deserved their freedom, but that blacks were not equal to whites. Many of these people also agreed with Lincoln that the federal gov't could not end slavery where it already existed, but that it could prohibit slavery in new territories and states. In 1860, the North enjoyed a population of approx., 23 million people to the South's nine million. Douglas provided the only real opposition to Lincoln in the North, but most Northern voters preferred Lincoln's views than Douglas' platform. With a wide advantage in population totals the North controlled the Electoral College, giving Lincoln the victory in the election. In Ohio, Lincoln finished first, with more than 231,000 votes to Douglas' 187,000.
Forgot to add this re Stephen Douglas:
Douglas was gracious in defeat. He remained in the U.S. Senate and attempted to find a peaceful solution to the tensions between the North and the South. Following the Battle of Fort Sumter in April 1861, Douglas back Lincoln and his efforts to return the South to the U.S. through military force. Douglas died on June 3, 1861.
Douglas personally hated slavery but he felt it was important for the local people "popular sovereignty" to decide the issue rather than the federal government to mandate. He was involved in the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas Nebraska Act.
Stephen A. Douglas believed that individual states should have the right to decide the issue of slavery for themselves, a concept known as popular sovereignty. He supported the idea that the people in each territory should vote on whether to allow slavery or not, which was a key principle of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
Stephen A. Douglas was a prominent Democratic politician in the 19th century who had a popular sovereignty approach to the issue of slavery. He believed that each territory should decide for itself whether to allow slavery, as opposed to having a national policy on the matter. This stance was a key aspect of the debates leading up to the Civil War.
Stephen Douglas supported popular sovereignity, also called squatter sovereignity, which stated that each territory had the right to determine if they would accept slavery or not.
Stephen A. Douglas believed in the concept of popular sovereignty, which allowed individual territories to decide for themselves whether to allow or ban slavery. He supported the idea that the people in each territory should have the right to determine their own stance on this issue, rather than having a federal mandate imposed on them.
By all accounts, Senator Stephan A. Douglas was against slavery. And, as was the norm in the US and on a world wide basis in the middle of the 19th century, many people had the belief that either their nationality, ethic group or race, placed them above other peoples. This is an outdated and wrong idea.
Abraham Lincoln believed that slavery was morally wrong and sought to prevent its expansion into new territories, while Stephen Douglas believed in popular sovereignty, allowing each state or territory to decide for itself whether to allow slavery. Lincoln's ultimate goal was to eventually abolish slavery throughout the nation, whereas Douglas prioritized maintaining the peace and unity of the country.
Stephen Douglas debated with Lincoln against slavery
It was the issue of slavery that Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A Douglas disagreed about during their political debates. Stephen A Douglas supported slavery while Abraham Lincoln opposed it.
Stephen A Douglas
Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen A. Douglas believed that individual states should have the right to decide the issue of slavery for themselves, a concept known as popular sovereignty. He supported the idea that the people in each territory should vote on whether to allow slavery or not, which was a key principle of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
Abraham Lincoln viewed slavery as an unfortunate result of America's development that needed to end in order to keep the country united. His view on Stephen Douglas was that he was an erudite and decent man that didn't need to end to keep the country united.
It was the issue of slavery that Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A Douglas disagreed about during their political debates. Stephen A Douglas supported slavery while Abraham Lincoln opposed it.
slavery
what was Stepen A. Douglas veiws on tariifs?
Stephen A. Douglas was a prominent Democratic politician in the 19th century who had a popular sovereignty approach to the issue of slavery. He believed that each territory should decide for itself whether to allow slavery, as opposed to having a national policy on the matter. This stance was a key aspect of the debates leading up to the Civil War.
Abraham Lincoln